In the second questionnaire there will be five questions, which will be distributed to the local businesses such as the village shop, butchers and estate agents. I will design two questionnaires so I can compare what the local people think compared to what the businesses think and see whether there is a large difference. These two questionnaires should give me enough information to address the hypothesis I will then collect the data and analyse it, sorting it out into graphs. The results provide me with a conclusion as to whether Felsted School has an effect on the small rural village of Felsted in 2005. I will also do a traffic survey’s one at 7-11 in term time I will do the traffic survey out side of the village shop.
Geography Questionnaire
Excuse me; I am a student carrying out a GCSE geography enquiry. Would you mind answering a few short questions?
On a scale of 1-10 (10-very busy 0 very quiet) please put the numbers in the two boxes.
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Do you live in the village of Felsted? (Please answer yes or no in the box)
- Do you work in the Village of Felsted?
- How busy do you find the shop?
- How busy do you find the post office?
- When is it easiest to get a doctors appointment?
- How busy do you find the butchers?
- When does the village seem busy?
- How busy do you find the restaurants?
- How busy do you find the roads?
- Do you use the school’s sports facilities?
Thank you for your help
Geography Questionnaire (questionnaire 2)
Excuse me; I am a student carrying out a GCSE geography enquiry. Would you mind answering a few short questions?
- Do you supply the school directly?
- Do you notice a difference between term time and holiday time?
- What is the percentage difference between school and term time?
- Do you employ more staff in term time?
- Does the increase in village traffic during term time affect your business? If so how?
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Thank you for your help
Results
These are my results from the first questionnaire.
Most of the inhabitants I asked do live in Felsted
Not many of the inhabitants I asked work in Felsted
Nearly every inhabitant asked found the shop busier in term time rather than the holiday time.
Nearly every inhabitant asked found the post office busier in term time rather than the holiday time.
80% of inhabitants asked thought it was easier to get a doctors appointment in the school holidays.
70% of inhabitants find the butchers busier in the school term that the holidays
80% of people asked found the village busier during the school term.
More than 50% of Felsted’s inhabitants find the restaurants busier during school term time.
Every person asked said that during term time the roads where at they’re busiest.
Only 4% of people asked use the school’s sports facilities
These are my results from the second questionnaire.
Every single business asked had a % difference between school and term time.
This graph shows that every business has a % increase in the school term, proving that the businesses do lose out during the school holidays.
The only business, which supplies the school directly, is the butcher who only supplies the school during the school term. Every single business said they noticed a big difference between the school term and holidays.
Only the shop employs more staff during the school term.
The increase in village traffic affects the business as it restricts parking and delivers can only be made around certain times of the day, so they do not clash with the traffic.
Traffic survey results
From the table I can see that around the school opening times (8:30am) there are around 250 extra cars on the roads, causing major traffic jams all around the village. Usually there are around 250 cars per hour on the roads of Felted but during school opening times and when pupils leave to go home there are around 500cars on the road. There is also a lack of parking in Felsted so there are many cars parked on the side of the roads. This traffic survey shows how Felsted School has a great impact
I sent of for some statistics from the local council so I can compare Felsted’s population of school children to the average population of school children in Uttlesford council. This table was sent back to me showing the different age ranges in Felsted compared the average.
Resident population (percentage)
Source: 2001 Census, ONS
This information was from the 2001 census.
This information shows that Felsted has a higher resistant population of teenagers and under 16’s than the average for Uttlsford.
I also found out that the school paid for the local zebra crossing so that children can cross safely.
Conclusion
I started this investigation to investigate whether or not Felsted School had a major affect of Felsted, a small rural community. From the information I gathered I can clearly see that Felsted does have a major impact on the small community, this impact can be seen in many different ways, such as the increase in business and traffic problems. I also investigated whether businesses such as the local village shop can see a noticeable difference, which they clearly can form the information I have gathered. I have also proved some of my hypothesis. I have also found out that the majority of Felsted’s business are still in existence today because of the school, this is because the students regularly use the post office and local shop for magazines and food, they also use the local restaurants and the local butcher supplies food for the school during the school term. The parents of the school use business such as the estate agents and craft’s shop very regularly, keeping them in existence. Only one business, the village shop employs more staff during term time rather than the holidays this as the other business staff takes holidays during the school holidays so that the staff can be speared if necessary, saving money and staff. Most local people found that the only way they are affected is by the traffic problems and queues in the shops and restaurants. I have found that although the school causes traffic problems it also brings in new services and trades, and also keeping businesses in existence. The local environment is improved by the presence of the school as the inhabitants have better facilities, such as the local doctors surgery as most small villages don’t have such privileges, because the school is in the center of the village and the grounds are well maintained it forms a very picturesque setting. Adding greatly to the environment of the village rather than continues housing normally seen in most villages. Although the traffic is heavy during certain time’s of the day most inhabitants asked commented on the problem but said it was not a problem as they simply avoided the traffic at those certain times, this is why I have not compared Felsted to another similar sized village such as Great Bardfield, as Felsted is so unique because of the school and any such investigations would prove this. The traffic survey proves my last theory is correct as Felsted School does affect the local traffic.
In order to improve my investigation I would carry out the same investigation at another local village of a similar size such as Great Bardfield, so I could prove my prediction that Felsted is different because of the school. I would also repeat some of my investigations at different times of year; I would also do my traffic survey at the school so I could see how many cars were relative to the school. If I was to do a follow up investigation I would like to investigate the effects of the local housing estate, which is presently being constructed to see the effects on the school, to see if there is an increase of pupils from the park, and to see if there is more traffic on the roads.
In this investigation I set out to find the effects of a major public school on a rural community in 2005, these effects are traffic problems, the continued existence of local businesses, lading to an increase in jobs and an increase on the improvements to the local environment.
